I got married here at the end of October and it was the smoothest experience I could have ever imagined for a wedding! My husband and I, along with the rest of our family and friends, were thrilled with the way our wedding went. The food was fantastic (people are still talking about it- especially the filet and twice baked potato) as was the overall atmosphere. The whole crew leading up to the big day was organized, responsive, and extremely helpful. We could tell they lived and breathed event planning - they were so good at it! Anyway, I'll leave you with this, if you're looking for a beautiful venue with incredible staff/planners, look no further. read more

Great services, beautiful venue, great food. An awesome place for a senior prom! Thank you all for great service!

Horrible management . Bride here! Made me sob at the end of my wedding day, the absolute worst decision I've made planning my wedding was choosing this hall. Staff and management was very hard to work with, I came in there looking to only rent the room so I'd have the option to bring my own catering since it was an african traditional wedding, we needed african food , I think that decision alone was was when they decided to charge me for literally everything extra that should've been included with the room( I understand all receptions don't have the same policy) from the chairs, chair covers etc, I think they've never had rented the room before without their catering so they were creating rules and policies on the spot. They told me the person decorating couldn't come the day before to decorate and only gave her 3 hrs "free of charge"the day of the wedding to do everything, And any extra hours would be $150 per hour. I recently found out another lady who got married there recently after my wedding, they gave the person decorating the Friday before and the Saturday before her wedding to decorate with noooo charge!!!! I couldn't even have my wedding rehearsal the Friday before the wedding because they said I'd have to pay $250 per hour.. and I was already over my budget. I booked for the bigger room at the villa, however the day of my wedding, the lady decorating found out that half the room was filled with unused chairs and tables that they were supposed to remove and cover that part with a black curtain.they try to gaslight me saying I never said I wanted the full room, like what???? Why in the world I would pay full price and only use half the room? I did tell them I wanted the cleaning crew as well, I thought they included that in the bill, comes to find out at the end of my wedding that I never booked for the cleaning crew, I didnt planned for anyone to clean after, but a few people helped me. I had to be taken away since I was crying so much, so the garbage bin they wanted my people to throw the garbage at was all the way at the end of the parking lot near the bushes.Mind you, there was no light near that garbage bin, There was another bin near the door so all the garbage bags were put there cause it was scary to go all the way there,So I was charged for leaving the garbage out. So so many things happened and I barely got any change out of my deposit. I never met the owner. I was only working with Amanda and I forgot the other ladies name .its like they pick and choose who to treat well and treated me horribly, Everything was charged for. DO NOT BOOK, unless you want to use their catering service maybe I would have had a better experience. I was absolutely dissatisfied. read more

I have been here a few times over the years, most recently for a memorial for a family friend who lost her battle with cancer. The facility itself is very large, often times with multiple rooms having been rented out to different groups at the same time. Their rooms accommodate anywhere from 35-800 guests depending on your needs and I have been in three different spaces all with a different number of guests. They do an excellent job with signage to ensure that guests know where they are going, which I appreciate. Otherwise, yesterday we would have all accidentally wandered into Jessica's bridal shower! The food here is always very good. Yesterday we were treated to buffet style chicken, pork chops, potatoes, carrots, salad, and rolls. They offer a variety of banquet menus to choose from when booking the facility. What really sticks with me after every visit here is how friendly the staff are. I know it's a family run business which I love love love to support, and that really shines through. From the bartender who tirelessly catered to about a hundred people yesterday with a smile on her face to the staff servicing the buffet tables, everyone was professional and kind. This is a great place for your event! read more

The Villa Banquet Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

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Ok, I know this is a late review, but better late than never! We were married at Karpeles Manuscript Library in October 2015 and Lucarelli's catered the food. It was EXCELLENT. We customized our menu and everything was so delicious and flaw free I cannot sing their praises enough. The amount of people that have told us that we had "the best wedding food" they'd ever had is quite a lot. We had tenderloin and herb crusted turkey breast. We had lobster and mushroom ravioli. We had fall roasted vegetables. We had some other stuff I can't remember, but it was all fantastic! Also, my dad is a picky eater and they made him spaghetti and meatballs, like 1 plate of it that he raves about to this day bless their hearts! If you are looking for a caterer who provides excellent customer service and serves food so good that it should be winning awards, look no further. read more

I had my bridal shower at Lucarelli's last Saturday. Let me just start off by saying that the woman we dealt with while planning this whole thing was wonderful & pleasant - I really thought she set the tone for what would be a smooth experience! That is where my one star comes into play. Walking in I walked past the manager & server that were complaining that I wasnt there yet, its my shower and who the hell cares if im 25 minutes late! That led me to awkwardly turning to them and saying "Hi! Thats me! Im the bride" very uncomfortable situation. If you're going to complain about it, do it in private PLEASE. Moving onto brunch, the food was being put out right as I arrived, the food was hot & delicious and all my guests really liked it, but the problem is that their plates were being taken as soon as they set their forks down. Normally, with a buffet you assume that you'll grab another plate when you go up for more. NOPE. They took all the plates and started to break down the buffet, 20 minutes after it just went up. For what we paid for the food, I think my guests should have had more than 20 minutes!!! My event was scheduled between 11:30-2:30, after I opened gifts my guests started leaving, which you expect. But they started cleaning up and dumping all of our $50 a piece punch bowls 45 minutes before our scheduled event end time!!!! And threw out all my sister-in-law's gluten free cake without asking. For the money, you could have a beautiful event elsewhere and be much happier! All around an embarrassing afternoon for me. Still waiting on a manager to respond to me too. read more

Went to a lovely surprise birthday party today where they had a fabulous brunch! Bagels, waffles, scrambled eggs which were very good, fresh fruit, danishes and ham that was really delicious! Very nice venue very good food. read more

My family attended a wedding there today, July 24th, and everything was going great until almost the end of the evenings festivities. While we were all on the dance floor, the staff swooped in and cleared everything off of our table, taking drinks that we were not finished with...at least 4 or 5 of them. And it's not like our table looked empty...purses; clothing and other personal items were still there. And while it shouldn't have been a big deal, the bar was then closed. I spoke to a manager there and while she offered to replace my drink, she totally missed the point, you don't clear a table while peoples personal items are still there. It ruined the night and for that reason I have to tell potential bookings to stay away from Lucarelli's. read more

I hosted my daughter's baby shower here. The price, food, ambiance and ease of planning was way more than I expected. Menu- a mix of ethnic backgrounds - was spectacular. So much food for everyone, no one went hungry. The room that we used was fantastic. With color and decor (we knew it was a girl) we spent no additional cash to get everything in order. Don't waste time..just check for dates here. read more

I was there for a wedding August 2021 Worst service I've ever encountered in a banquet. They Lacked hospitality, and customer service. The staff were rude, they served the food with an attitude and than take the food back before people even finished eating. It was so embarrassing when the guest told me they are taking the food before they finished eating. The manager Janice was the worst not accommodating at all. Helping my sister with the wedding so that there's no stress on the bride I was there to make sure everything went smoothly. The bride needed help w/her dress before she walked into the hall and Janice would not let her use a closed off hallway to the side. There's so much more, From not turning down the A/C to not pulling out an extra table when asked, from giving the D.J and the wedding decorator a hard time. The list goes on. FIND ANOTHER VENUE. read more

We attended a benefit at Lucarelli's last week and the food was absolutely awful! Dry tasteless chicken, soggy breaded pork shops, unrecognizable roasted potatoes. And dessert! One sad half scoop of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate syrup dripped on it. The silverware was mis-matched. The servers ignored all attempts to get their attention. Over the last week, I've discussed my experience with colleagues and friends and it seems to be a shared experience regardless of the event. Weddings, baby showers, Mother's Day brunch; beautifully redecorated with horrible food and service. read more

Have been to a few family events here. Overall the place can easily fulfill your need for a banquet facility, but it just provides an average experience. Ambiance is a banquet facility, food is OK. Not bad, not great. Ultimately it wouldn't be my first choice to go, but would easily do if specific date / time was needed. read more

I would like to share my experience I had dealing wiht Lucarelli's for my daughter's baby shower held on March 10 2019. My daughter chose the Abbott room to accommodate the 35 guests. I was first put off when I asked if we could use their forks for the cheese cake we are bringing instead of plastic forks we were told to provide. I was told I would be charged for cake service which would be 1.25 per person. I asked if the cake would be served to the guests and I was told NO it will be placed on the cake table. I wouldn't mind paying if the cakes was served to the guests but I wasn't going to pay that for a fork. We were then told to arrive an hour before the guests. My sons girlfriend arrived 1 hour and 15 minutes before and was rudely told she cannot be there ,so she went to sit in her car for 15 minutes. She was unloading the decorations and prizes. The tables were not set up as we requested 5 tables of 7 they were set for 8 and there were 3 or 4 extra tables in the way. There was also a large tray stand in the middle of the room with a bucket and tablecloths. I was told at that minute the roof was leaking. THe buckets had to stay there. A few minutes later a 2nd leak appears a few feet away from the first. Another Tray stand wiht bucket and tablecloth was set up. Looks great in my pictures. As my guests were arriving, a construction worker with a ladder and new ceiling tile arrived to replace the first tile that was leaking right next to my cake table. Now all my guests took notice. They kept pointing at the ceiling. How embarrassing. The main focus of the shower was where would the next leak appear. I had one guest with extreme anxiety worried the ceiling would fall down on her. The banquet Manager was no where to be found thru out the shower. We only had the waiter who was busy filling the buffet station. The room was cold IT would not stay warm My guests complaining they were cold. No one was filling coffee while we were eating, I went around asking if my guests needed refills. IT was a coffee bar, yes, but most buffets, serve coffee while guests are eating especially if you are paying a 20% gratuity. I was also told that we should not have been put in this room on a rainy day. This leads me to believe they have had issues with this before. Tray stands were placed for dirty dishes, since my waiter was filling the food the guests who were done eating were putting their own dirty plates on the trays. He came to clear the rest of the plates from the guests after I asked him if we had to clear our own plates. Right before the shower ended, a 3rd tile started leaking with 3 separate leaks, right over a table of guests. Thankfully the guests were on their way out. My daughter flew in for her shower from South Carolina, which is where she now lives, and most of the gifts were shipped to her home there, so our shower ended much earlier than expected. I am sure if we stayed until the time allowed, we would have encountered many other leaks in this room. We had to see buckets they set up in our pictures we took. My daughter and I were extremely unhappy at the way this turned out. I called Lucarellis on the next day the girl seemed genuinely concerned and said she would talk to the owners to compensate me. I had to call a 2 additional times because I had not heard back. I received a call from Amanda Lucarelli who offered me $45 the cost of the mimosa punch as a refund. I told her I didn't want to accept that. I was was looking to be refunded the 20% gratuity I paid . She said They watched the video on the security camera of our event. The guy changing the tile was in and out in 5 minutes. Really. She then said what is the issue the water leaking. She said she would have to speak with her team. Received a message on my phone that she is sending me a check for 45$ and 10% coupon on my next event . I didn't have an issue with the punch, I had an issue wiht the way the service was and the event was handled, and I will not be back to use this place for any event in the future. My daugher has many friends getting married next year looking for venues, they also will not be using this place.WE should have been offered a different room as there were others available , as soon as we arrived. IT could have been a pleasant experience instead of a disaster. You usually only have one baby shower in your life time, and as a new grandmother for the first time,I was so excited. Now I have this disaster to remember. We had our daugher's wedding at Klocs Grove which was amazing, and the bridal shower at Iio DiPaolo's another fantastic place. Service Top Notch. Think twice before you book your event. Thank you, Sandra Imiola read more

1/23/16: A typical banquet hall. The decor is nice enough and the staff was polite. Based solely on the food (the only reason I attended said event), loss of 2 stars. Blech! Everything was cold from the ziti to the baked carrots. I'm not sure how chicken cordon bleu can be both watery and congealed, but they somehow managed it. The rolls were stale. The salad had such strong onions that was all I could taste and smell (and I intentionally avoided putting onion on my plate). Update 1/26/16: I was a guest of Bangs Salon Party Saturday, 1/23/16. While I stand by my review regarding the food, management was extremely prompt (like within 48 hours) in responding to and expressing interest in my concerns. This is a very good sign and shows quality customer service. For this, they deserve the benefit of doubt. (We've all had the experience of going to our favorite restaurant on a really off night, right?) I'm not sure when or if I will be invited to attend another event at this establishment. If that day comes, I will walk in with a clean slate and hopefully leave with a different review. read more

We were originally going to have my son and daughter-in-laws wedding at Lucarelli's but because of the happenings of the past year decided on a backyard wedding. Lucarelli's catered our event this past Friday, July 23rd and it was absolutely amazing. The food was exceptional, arrived packaged perfectly, was hot and we had more than enough for the dinner as well as leftovers (yum). I want to personally recognize Mike Lucarelli. He was extremely patient, offered suggestions and helped throughout. I highly recommend Lucarelli's and will continue to sing their praises!! read more

This review should act as a warning NOT to hire this facility. Mrs Lucarelli was at our function and was mean, sarcastic and nasty! We had a contract that stated two hrs of finger foods and premium bar service. We were served nothing less than you would find at a corner gin mill under the counter. Very poor at best! We were to be served two hrs of stations and were told after less than an hr (50 min to be exact), that there would be no more food available!?!?!?! Mrs Lucarelli stated people had gone up more than once. What are stations for?? Our group consists of professionals and entertainers, we know customer service and we bank our businesses on that premise. Lucarelli's was not forthright, did not follow the said contract and made us feel as though they were only after the business and $$$ certainly.....no customer service whatsoever.....so word to the wise.......be Leary, be very Leary, this place has turned for the worse and it shows.....and the upstairs smells like musty mold....so you should be careful for respiratory issues as well... Nice going Lucarelli.......NOT! Might be a good idea to review the reviews you've received! read more

Went to Lucarelli's for a shower. They served brunch buffet style. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the bacon was tasty and not over or under cook. The fruit was fresh. The atmosphere was perfect lite and the staff seemed to make sure everything ran smoothly. The only thing I would recommend is to make sure there was more signage because we went to the wrong shower and other we didn't now come to ours. All in All, I would recommend anyone to have a shower here. read more

Our wedding reception at Lucarellis was incredible...from the food to the family environment..every detail was taken care of and attended to. We truly felt like we mattered to Kate and the rest of the Lucarelli family. We will definitely be hosting future events there! 10/10 service!!! read more

They go above and beyond for every event they have here! Always in communication about things and available to answer any question you have; no question will go unanswered. Katie takes pride in every wedding or event she does and is very professional. They will set up your event for you and will make it look beautiful. She had everything set up the day before my wedding and I went to see it and it was set up even better than I had seen it in my mind. They let my vendors come in and set up the day of the wedding so everything was set and taken care of for when I arrived to be introduced. We had the bridal suite off the venue room so me and my girls could have a private room if we needed it and to hold our purses. The food was amazing and so tasty. The wait staff was quick to bring the food out but also quick to take it away. I know they have a schedule but people were still eating and they already wanted to take their plate away a little to fast. As the bride and groom we didn't have time to eat so they boxed up our food for us to have later. The bartenders were great and kept the drinks coming. Everyone only had great things to say about the way the venue looked and hoe the food was. The only down side was at the end of the night I had paid to have all the decorations tore down and boxed back up and the help that was there said to me we didn't set it up so we don't know what is your decorations and what is ours. They asked me to help box my things up and argued with me about the table numbers because they thought they were theirs. There were many things still not boxed up and they said there were not enough boxes even though everything I brought had a box. Okay it is late and everyone wants to leave I get that. They had everything cleaned up and it was like 1120 I would say. We had a shuttle limo to take us to the hotel they were on the way back to get the last of us and the workers had most of the lights turned out and told us they had to lock the doors and we had to leave. We explained to them we were waiting for the limo and it would be like 5 more minutes. They said it is after 11 we have to lock the door you have to wait outside. So in the pouring rain the bride and groom are standing outside waiting for the limo. Lucky it was the end of the night and we didn't have to wait long. After what we spent to have our reception here it wasn't a great end to a beautiful evening. Just wish the closing crew was as wonderful as everyone else was. I could have given a lower star rating because of the end of the night, But most of it was great and Katie went above and beyond for me and my husband. I'm sure if Katie were there that night to close it would have been absolutely perfect. Just some things they can work on for the end of the night but everything else was great! read more

Is there a no star option? I personally have never hosted an event here for the sole reason of it being an awful venue. I've attended only for respect of family and friends. I've never seen such disrespectful and unprofessional staff. They barely listen as you speak to them, they are ready to pick up my plate before I've even put my fork down.. you might as well just ask me when we're going home at that point because clearly you're not there to make your guests feel welcome. I feel so bad for the brides I've witnessed that have horror stories to follow their wedding day. You're in this business to make bridal parties lives easier, not more stressful. The manager, Janice, seems to be very accommodating until your final payment is in her hand and you're at their mercy. If you want to walk on egg shells on your wedding day, book this venue. I would rather have a backyard picnic wedding than use this space if it was offered to me for free. Brides beware read more

I've been to several banquet centers and this place is just awful. This is the second time I've been here, The food is enough to be considered average - stale and soggy chicken, dry hard rolls, stale salad, etc. Their silverware is quite dirty as well as their coffee cups, and a lot them had lip stick stains on them. The only descent thing was their rolled steak, their potatoes were tasteless and soggy as well. Bar was average but the bar tenders seemed like they accommodated the high tippers. As for their servers, they seemed very polite, but I wouldn't recommend this place for any event because you'll pay expensive venue prices and get cheap service. read more

Impeccable. We used Lucarelli's catering for our wedding. We made an appointment and sat down with the owner who helped us design a menu that fit the season and our liking. There were so many delicious food items to choose from, and he suggested things that pair well together etc. They prepare on site in a vehicle that they pull around the back of your venue location. The chef is delightful and his food is artfully prepared. I was proud to serve Lucarelli's to my wedding guests, it was worth every penny. read more

Check facebook page "You Know You're From Lackawanna... to see multiple bad reviews. Service is drastically changed since 2014. Food is mediocre at best, extra ( substantial )cost added after initial reservation and customer service was below below par read more

Had a football banquet there for Lancaster Youth football this past weekend and the service was horrible. Noone smiled, the servers sighed in annoyance when I asked for spoons! read more

The food was terrible. Out for less than an hour. The prime rib was covered in fat. The banquet room and bathrooms were also dirty. Terrible choice for a venue. Even Plates and glasses were spotty and unclean. Liquor was watered down. I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg for a "gourmet meal and top shelf liquor" when the "open" bar is closed half the night and what's being poured out of the Jack Daniel's bottle clearly tastes like cheap well whiskey. Many of the teenagers/twenty somethings working as servers were also pretty rude and off putting. Don't make the mistake of planning an event here unless you want sub-par food and terrible service. read more

If you are reading any good reviews about this place, trust me - it's owners,family or friends of Lucarelli's writing it. We were served mangled gristle with bits of indescribable sinews of meat attached. Nine people at the table and 5 slices of bread served but we did get bread instead of halved hot dog rolls this time. The cabbage had to have been reheated several times - makes you wonder how many tables it had visited before ending up on ours. Inedible - we could not eat this or the meat after spending a good amount of money per plate. Dessert is pre-packaged, frozen and laid out to thaw - in addition, we got a 1/4 cup of ice milk. If you wanted coffee, tea or soda you had to get it yourself after making your way through meandering, close tables. The cups were filthy - are you kidding me? I wonder also if these owners ever thought of hiring a chef? The food has always been pretty sub standard but now the service is even more terrible. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does! read more